The present invention relates, in general, to apparati and methods for handling a workpiece. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method of especial utility in the handling of singulated workpieces which checks for the presence of the workpiece and orients it to a desired orientation such that acceptable workpieces may be segregatably removed to a subsequent handling location.
Numerous applications exist which necessitate the removal of individual workpieces from a stockpile thereof coupled with their proper orientation and checking. Manual retrieval is, of course, one alternative but is time consuming, slow and tedious labor and a most undesirable limiting factor in the subsequent automated handling of such workpieces. Moreover, manual orientation and checking of the workpieces is similarly inconvenient.
In the automated handling of workpieces, especially those of a generally elongate shape, a large number of them are generally input into a hopper or bin such that they are aligned with their respective longitudinal axis, but may be randomly oriented as to their opposite ends and with respect to their cross-sectional periphery or aspect. While there is an advantage in initially handling these objects in bulk, they must nontheless ultimately be removed or retrieved from the stock for individual presentment to subsequent handling and testing equipment. In most instances, in order for this automated orientation and testing to be carried out, the workpieces must be similarly aligned with respect to their cross-sectional periphery as well as to the proper end presented to a given station. With the availability of an automated apparatus and method to check the presence of a workpiece and orient it to a desired orientation, acceptable workpieces may be thereafter segregatably removed to a subsequent handling location while rejected workpieces are similarly collected.